About Us

Renaissance Academy is a new type of high school that takes the traditional model and turns it upside down.

Rather than lectures and note-taking, Renaissance students lead their own learning using team projects and technology… just like the modern workplace. This approach has proven to be very effective for preparing students for their future and we believe it can have a big impact for Southern Indiana.

Renaissance Academy is part of the New Technology Network, schools across the country that are changing the way students are being educated for the 21st Century.

The name Renaissance recognizes the heritage of the town of Clarksville, in that it was the gathering point for the Lewis and Clark Expedition of the Louisiana Purchase. The same spirit of discovery that opened a whole new world, creating a whole new America will be used daily in the project-based learning model at Renaissance Academy.

The name recognizes and honors the new approach to learning the school will take, creating a ‘renaissance in education’ for our area.

The word ‘renaissance’ also speaks to the revival of the property where the school will be located, the former site of Value City at 806 Eastern Boulevard. Previously, the property had been vacant for nearly 10 years.

The New Technology Network is a nonprofit organization that transforms schools into innovative learning environments.

New Tech Schools use a project-based learning approach that engages students with dynamic, challenging curriculum.

The first New Tech high school was founded in 1996 in Napa, CA, when local business leaders came together with the idea of starting a school that would teach the skills necessary to thrive in the new, technology-based economy. That school was Napa New Technology High School in Napa, California.
Napa New Tech’s success is nationally recognized for innovation and excellence in high school education. By traditional measures, New Tech students surpass their state and local peers with high attendance, graduation rates and test scores. They also emerge ready for college, for the careers of the future and to become leaders of their communities.

The New Tech Network encompasses 120 schools in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and West Virginia.

Indiana leads the nation currently with 23 New Tech schools. Learn more about The New Tech Network here.

Project-based learning is at the heart of instructional approach at a New Tech School. In project-based learning, learning is contextual, creative, and shared.

Students collaborate on meaningful projects that require critical thinking, creativity, and communication in order for them to answer challenging questions or solve complex problems.

By making learning relevant to them in this way, students see a purpose for mastering state-required skills and content concepts. Students aren’t just assessed on their understanding of academic content, but on their ability to successfully apply that content when solving authentic problems.

Through this process, project based learning gives students the opportunity to develop the real life skills required for success in today’s world.

New Tech schools also use problem-based learning, a form of inquiry-based instruction used primarily in Mathematics that places the students in several smaller problem scenarios rather than a single, large project scenario. For more info on PBL, check this out

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